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Silva VAR, Lavinsky J, Pauna HF, Vianna MF, Santos VM, Ikino CMY, Sampaio ALL, Tardim Lopes P, Lamounier P, Maranhão ASDA, Soares VYR, Polanski JF, Denaro MMDC, Chone CT, Bento RF, Castilho AM. Brazilian Society of Otology task force - Vestibular Schwannoma ‒ evaluation and treatment. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2023; 89:101313. [PMID: 37813009 PMCID: PMC10563065 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2023.101313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular schwannoma. METHODS Task force members were educated on knowledge synthesis methods, including electronic database search, review and selection of relevant citations, and critical appraisal of selected studies. Articles written in English or Portuguese on vestibular schwannoma were eligible for inclusion. The American College of Physicians' guideline grading system and the American Thyroid Association's guideline criteria were used for critical appraisal of evidence and recommendations for therapeutic interventions. RESULTS The topics were divided into 2 parts: (1) Diagnosis - audiologic, electrophysiologic tests, and imaging; (2) Treatment - wait and scan protocols, surgery, radiosurgery/radiotherapy, and systemic therapy. CONCLUSIONS Decision making in VS treatment has become more challenging. MRI can diagnose increasingly smaller tumors, which has disastrous consequences for the patients and their families. It is important to develop an individualized approach for each case, which highly depends on the experience of each surgical team.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vagner Antonio Rodrigues Silva
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Sociedade Brasileira de Otologia - SBO
| | - Joel Lavinsky
- Sociedade Brasileira de Otologia - SBO; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Henrique Furlan Pauna
- Hospital Universitário Cajuru, Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Melissa Ferreira Vianna
- Sociedade Brasileira de Otologia - SBO; Irmandade Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Mazanek Santos
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Hospital de Clínicas, Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Cláudio Márcio Yudi Ikino
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Hospital Universitário, Departamento de Cirurgia, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - André Luiz Lopes Sampaio
- Sociedade Brasileira de Otologia - SBO; Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório de Ensino e Pesquisa em Otorrinolaringologia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Paula Tardim Lopes
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pauliana Lamounier
- Centro de Reabilitação e Readaptação Dr. Henrique Santillo (CRER), Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - André Souza de Albuquerque Maranhão
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vitor Yamashiro Rocha Soares
- Hospital Flavio Santos e Hospital Getúlio Vargas, Grupo de Otologia e Base Lateral do Crânio, Teresina, PI, Brazil
| | - José Fernando Polanski
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Hospital de Clínicas, Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Curitiba, PR, Brazil; Faculdade Evangélica Mackenzie do Paraná, Faculdade de Medicina, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos Takahiro Chone
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Ferreira Bento
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Arthur Menino Castilho
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Sociedade Brasileira de Otologia - SBO.
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Jacobs K, Roman E, Lambert J, Moke L, Scheys L, Kesteloot K, Roodhooft F, Cardoen B. Variability drivers of treatment costs in hospitals: A systematic review. Health Policy 2021; 126:75-86. [PMID: 34969532 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Studies on variability drivers of treatment costs in hospitals can provide the necessary information for policymakers and healthcare providers seeking to redesign reimbursement schemes and improve the outcomes-over-cost ratio, respectively. This systematic literature review, focusing on the hospital perspective, provides an overview of studies focusing on variability in treatment cost, an outline of their study characteristics and cost drivers, and suggestions on future research methodology. METHODS We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We searched PubMED/MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, Science direct, OvidSP and Cochrane library. Two investigators extracted and appraised data for citation until October 2020. RESULTS 90 eligible articles were included. Patient, treatment and disease characteristics and, to a lesser extent, outcome and institutional characteristics were identified as significant variables explaining cost variability. In one-third of the studies, the costing method was classified as unclear due to the limited explanation provided by the authors. CONCLUSION Various patient, treatment and disease characteristics were identified to explain hospital cost variability. The limited transparency on how hospital costs are defined is a remarkable observation for studies wherein cost variability is the main focus. Recommendations relating to variables, costs, and statistical methods to consider when designing and conducting cost variability studies were provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Jacobs
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Medicine, LIGB (Leuven Institute for Health Policy), Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Faculty of Medicine, IORT (Institute for Orthopaedic Research and Training), Leuven, Belgium; Vlerick Business School, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Erin Roman
- Vlerick Business School, Ghent, Belgium; KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jo Lambert
- Ghent University Hospital, department of Dermatology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Moke
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Medicine, IORT (Institute for Orthopaedic Research and Training), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lennart Scheys
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Medicine, IORT (Institute for Orthopaedic Research and Training), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien Kesteloot
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Medicine, LIGB (Leuven Institute for Health Policy), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Filip Roodhooft
- Vlerick Business School, Ghent, Belgium; KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brecht Cardoen
- Vlerick Business School, Ghent, Belgium; KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business, Leuven, Belgium
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Puataweepong P, Dhanachai M, Swangsilpa T, Sitathanee C, Ruangkanchanasetr R, Hansasuta A, Pairat K. Long-term clinical outcomes of stereotactic radiosurgery and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy using the CyberKnife ® robotic radiosurgery system for vestibular schwannoma. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 2021; 18:e247-e254. [PMID: 34310064 DOI: 10.1111/ajco.13592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM The study aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HSRT) with frameless robotic whole-body radiosurgery system (CyberKnife® ). METHODS This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data included 123 consecutive patients with VS treated at the Radiosurgery center, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. SRS was recommended for patients with unserviceable hearing and Koos grade I-III tumors, and HSRT for patients with serviceable hearing or Koos grade III-IV tumors. Between March 2009 and December 2015, 23 patients (19%) were treated with SRS, whereas 100 (81%) received HSRT. The commonly used regimen was 12 Gy in one fraction for SRS and 18 Gy in three fractions for HSRT. RESULTS After a median follow-up of 72 months (range: 12-123 months), the 5-year and 8-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates for the whole cohort were 96% and 92%, respectively. The PFS was not significantly different between the SRS and HSRT groups (p = 0.23). Among 28 patients with serviceable hearing in the HSRT group, the 5-year and 8-year hearing preservation rates were 87% and 65%, respectively. The rate of nonauditory complications was 14%. Koos grade III/IV was a predictor of disease progression and was associated with nonauditory complications. CONCLUSION SRS and HSRT with the CyberKnife® system provided excellent long-term tumor control with a low rate of nonauditory complications. HSRT may result in acceptable hearing preservation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Putipun Puataweepong
- Radiation and Oncology Unit, Department of Radiology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mantana Dhanachai
- Radiation and Oncology Unit, Department of Radiology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thiti Swangsilpa
- Radiation and Oncology Unit, Department of Radiology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chomporn Sitathanee
- Radiation and Oncology Unit, Department of Radiology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rawee Ruangkanchanasetr
- Radiation and Oncology Unit, Department of Radiology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ake Hansasuta
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kumuthinee Pairat
- Radiosurgery Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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ReFaey K, Freeman WD, Tripathi S, Guerrero-Cazares H, Eatz TA, Meschia JF, Carter RE, Petrucelli L, Meyer FB, Quinones-Hinojosa A. NIH funding trends for neurosurgeon-scientists from 1993-2017: Biomedical workforce implications for neurooncology. J Neurooncol 2021; 154:51-62. [PMID: 34232472 PMCID: PMC8684039 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-021-03797-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurosurgeons represent 0.5% of all physicians and currently face a high burden of disease. Physician-scientists are essential to advance the mission of National Academies of Science (NAS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) through discovery and bench to bedside translation. We investigated trends in NIH neurosurgeon-scientist funding over time as an indicator of physician-scientist workforce training. METHODS We used NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORTER) to extract grants to neurosurgery departments and neurosurgeons from 1993 to 2017. Manual extraction of each individual grant awardee was conducted. RESULTS After adjusting for U.S. inflation (base year: 1993), NIH funding to neurosurgery departments increased yearly (P < 0.00001). However, neurosurgeon-scientists received significantly less NIH funding compared to scientists (including basic scientists and research only neurosurgeons) (P = 0.09). The ratio of neurosurgeon-scientists to scientists receiving grants was significantly reduced (P = 0.002). Interestingly, the percentage of oncology-related neurosurgery grants significantly increased throughout the study period (P = 0.002). The average number of grants per neurosurgeon-scientists showed an upward trend (P < 0.001); however, the average number of grants for early-career neurosurgeon-scientists, showed a significant downward trend (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION Over the past 23 years, despite the overall increasing trends in the number of NIH grants awarded to neurosurgery departments overall, the proportion of neurosurgeon-scientists that were awarded NIH grants compared to scientists demonstrates a declining trend. This observed shift is disproportionate in the number of NIH grants awarded to senior level compared to early-career neurosurgeon-scientists, with more funding allocated towards neurosurgical-oncology-related grants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim ReFaey
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - William D Freeman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Shashwat Tripathi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Tiffany A Eatz
- University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - James F Meschia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Rickey E Carter
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA. .,Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd. S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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Radiomics-Based Prediction of Long-Term Treatment Response of Vestibular Schwannomas Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery. Otol Neurotol 2021; 41:e1321-e1327. [PMID: 33492808 DOI: 10.1097/mao.0000000000002886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is one of the treatment modalities for vestibular schwannomas (VSs). However, tumor progression can still occur after treatment. Currently, it remains unknown how to predict long-term SRS treatment outcome. This study investigates possible magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based predictors of long-term tumor control following SRS. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Analysis was performed on a database containing 735 patients with unilateral VS, treated with SRS between June 2002 and December 2014. Using strict volumetric criteria for long-term tumor control and tumor progression, a total of 85 patients were included for tumor texture analysis. INTERVENTION(S) All patients underwent SRS and had at least 2 years of follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Quantitative tumor texture features were extracted from conventional MRI scans. These features were supplied to a machine learning stage to train prediction models. Prediction accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) are evaluated. RESULTS Gray-level co-occurrence matrices, which capture statistics from specific MRI tumor texture features, obtained the best prediction scores: 0.77 accuracy, 0.71 sensitivity, 0.83 specificity, and 0.93 AUC. These prediction scores further improved to 0.83, 0.83, 0.82, and 0.99, respectively, for tumors larger than 5 cm. CONCLUSIONS Results of this study show the feasibility of predicting the long-term SRS treatment response of VS tumors on an individual basis, using MRI-based tumor texture features. These results can be exploited for further research into creating a clinical decision support system, facilitating physicians, and patients to select a personalized optimal treatment strategy.
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Wong AK, Wong RH. Successful treatment of superior sagittal sinus thrombosis after translabyrinthine resection of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor: A case report and review of literature. Surg Neurol Int 2020; 11:410. [PMID: 33365173 PMCID: PMC7749965 DOI: 10.25259/sni_656_2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Postoperative cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (pCVST) after resection of cerebellopontine angle and posterior fossa tumor resections occur almost exclusively in the lateral venous sinuses and are generally asymptomatic. Thrombus extension and involvement of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) – a serious and potentially devastating complication – are rarely described and, as such, successful treatment for which is still poorly understood. We report a case of pCVST involving the SSS after translabyrinthine approach for resection of a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET), and the first that was successfully treated with anticoagulation therapy. Case Description: A 40-year-old man presented with headaches, diminished right-sided hearing, and ataxia was found to have a large right-sided cerebellopontine angle (CPA) lesion with extra-axial and possible intraparenchymal invasion. A retrosigmoid craniotomy for debulking and diagnosis was undertaken. Postoperative imaging revealed patent venous sinuses. Pathology confirmed NET. Further imaging revealed a likely pancreatic primary lesion. The patient then underwent subsequent translabyrinthine approach for definitive surgical resection. Postoperative imaging again revealed patent venous sinuses. The patient subsequently developed headaches on postoperative day 10 and was found to have pCVST involving the ipsilateral internal jugular to the SSS. The patient was started on therapeutic heparin with significant improvement in pCVST and symptoms. Conclusion: Extensive pCVST involving the SSS after CPA and posterior fossa tumor resections is extremely rare. Initial management with anticoagulation can yield promising results and should be initiated early in the clinical course unless otherwise contraindicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Wong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, United States
| | - Ricky H Wong
- Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, United States
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Dietz N, Sharma M, Ugiliweneza B, Wang D, Boakye M, Williams B, Andaluz N. Health Care Utilization in Patients Undergoing Repeat Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannoma with 5-Year Follow-up: A National Database Analysis. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2020; 83:19-27. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1716672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been used as an alternative to microsurgery in patients with small vestibular schwannoma (VS). We compare health care utilization metrics in patients undergoing repeat-SRS (re-SRS) and no repeat SRS (nr-SRS) at long-term follow-up.
Materials and Methods We queried the MarketScan database using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology 4, from 2000 to 2016. We included adult patients who had diagnosis of VS and treatment with SRS with at least 5 years of continuous enrollment after the procedure. Outcomes were hospital admissions, outpatient services, and medication refills.
Results Of 1,047 patients, 5.1% (n = 53) had repeat SRS. Majority of re-SRS (74%, n = 39) were done within 2 years of index procedure and 51% were within 1-year of initial procedure. Patients who required re-SRS incurred higher hospital readmission rate, outpatient services, and had higher payments compared with those who did not require re-SRS at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years following the initial procedures. Re-SRS received 3.0- and 3.1-times higher payments at 1 and 2 years compared with nr-SRS cohort. At 5 years following SRS, median combined payments for re-SRS cohort was $105286 (interquartile range [IQR] $70999, $156569) compared with $44172 (IQR $22956, $84840) for nr-SRS cohort.
Conclusion More than half of the re-SRS procedures were noted within first year of initial SRS for VS. Overall payments at 5 years for repeat SRS was more than double that for nr-SRS. Repeat SRS was also associated with more re-admissions and outpatient services at annual follow-up time points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dietz
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Mayur Sharma
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Beatrice Ugiliweneza
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Dengzhi Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Maxwell Boakye
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Brian Williams
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Norberto Andaluz
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
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Langenhuizen PPJH, Sebregts SHP, Zinger S, Leenstra S, Verheul JB, de With PHN. Prediction of transient tumor enlargement using MRI tumor texture after radiosurgery on vestibular schwannoma. Med Phys 2020; 47:1692-1701. [PMID: 31975523 PMCID: PMC7217023 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are uncommon benign brain tumors, generally treated using Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS). However, due to the possible adverse effect of transient tumor enlargement (TTE), large VS tumors are often surgically removed instead of treated radiosurgically. Since microsurgery is highly invasive and results in a significant increased risk of complications, GKRS is generally preferred. Therefore, prediction of TTE for large VS tumors can improve overall VS treatment and enable physicians to select the most optimal treatment strategy on an individual basis. Currently, there are no clinical factors known to be predictive for TTE. In this research, we aim at predicting TTE following GKRS using texture features extracted from MRI scans. METHODS We analyzed clinical data of patients with VSs treated at our Gamma Knife center. The data was collected prospectively and included patient- and treatment-related characteristics and MRI scans obtained at day of treatment and at follow-up visits, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after treatment. The correlations of the patient- and treatment-related characteristics to TTE were investigated using statistical tests. From the treatment scans, we extracted the following MRI image features: first-order statistics, Minkowski functionals (MFs), and three-dimensional gray-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs). These features were applied in a machine learning environment for classification of TTE, using support vector machines. RESULTS In a clinical data set, containing 61 patients presenting obvious non-TTE and 38 patients presenting obvious TTE, we determined that patient- and treatment-related characteristics do not show any correlation to TTE. Furthermore, first-order statistical MRI features and MFs did not significantly show prognostic values using support vector machine classification. However, utilizing a set of 4 GLCM features, we achieved a sensitivity of 0.82 and a specificity of 0.69, showing their prognostic value of TTE. Moreover, these results increased for larger tumor volumes obtaining a sensitivity of 0.77 and a specificity of 0.89 for tumors larger than 6 cm3 . CONCLUSIONS The results found in this research clearly show that MRI tumor texture provides information that can be employed for predicting TTE. This can form a basis for individual VS treatment selection, further improving overall treatment results. Particularly in patients with large VSs, where the phenomenon of TTE is most relevant and our predictive model performs best, these findings can be implemented in a clinical workflow such that for each patient, the most optimal treatment strategy can be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick P J H Langenhuizen
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Gamma Knife Center Tilburg, Department of Neurosurgery, ETZ Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Sander H P Sebregts
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Svetlana Zinger
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Sieger Leenstra
- Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen B Verheul
- Gamma Knife Center Tilburg, Department of Neurosurgery, ETZ Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Peter H N de With
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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